Rema wants to make authentic Amapiano music.
Rema is one of the superstars propelling Nigerian and African music through his mercurial talent that has helped him win several awards and captivate millions of fans globally.
In an interview with Nandi Madiba of Applesic Africa Now Radio, Rema shared that while he’s certain in his ability to make an Amapiano hit record, he prefers to explore the South African genre from an authentic angle.
In the interview, Rema revealed that he feels more spirit in South African Amapiano than the Nigerian variant. He also shared that his desire to make the music in its undiluted form led him to seek education from South African star Musa Keys.
“I feel like tapping into a sound, most especially when it’s within Africa, I take my time to study. I don’t jump on the wave, I take my time to understand things. When I and Musa Keys were in the studio, I was like ‘I know a lot of Nigerians are doing Amapiano but I need you to educate me about Amapiano’. I don’t want to just hop on it. Yes, I can make a banger, but it’s like can you teach me? When I hear the ones from South Africa it holds more spirit than the ones from anywhere else.”
Rema shared that he’s open to collaborations as that allows him to learn from others. He intends to take his time to learn about Amapiano before tapping into the sound.
“Although I don’t understand everything they’re saying, I can feel the particles, the elements, or the spiritual essence of the music. I know there’s a lot of amapiano from different parts of Africa, but educate me about yours, right? I feel like that’s necessary. I’m so down to collaborate, and while I collaborate I want to learn, I don’t want to do it the wrong way. Yes, Amapiano is a sound I really want to tap into but give me time with that!”
In the past two years, Amapiano has played a dominant role in the Nigerian mainstream with Afrobeats superstars domesticating the South African import.
Asake‘s 2022 run was propelled by his exploration of Amapiano. Similarly, Seyi Vibez and Shallipopi are two artists who have used Amapiano influences to gain mainstream success.